


Coded Coffee

by Rookmoon



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artist Reader, Backupsmore University, Coffee, Coffee Shops, College Reader, F/M, First Meeting, Fluff, Ford studies a lot, It's kind of awkward, Reader draws, Reader's a girl, but bear with me, ford's pov, i know it's different, short and sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-04-24
Packaged: 2019-03-13 21:14:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13579074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rookmoon/pseuds/Rookmoon
Summary: Stanford's had a rough time lately, and he rewards himself with coffee that isn't from his house.He ends up meeting someone interesting, and she catches his attention with her attention to details.





	1. A Rare Treat

**Author's Note:**

> 7-19-22-9-22 26-9-22-13-7 22-13-12-6-20-19 12-21 7-19-22-8-22 21-12-9 14-2 15-18-16-18-13-20

     Stanford Pines didn’t drink coffee often… unless you counted every time he would make himself stay up in order to study, think up ideas for inventions, or anything else he did on a regular basis. It was a rare thing for him to go anywhere for his coffee. He was more likely to carry it around in a thermos. It was cheaper, and he didn’t care very much about the taste as long as the caffeine kept working.

     However, today was more difficult than usual. Several people in one class in particular had wasted most of the time baiting the professor into long winded tangents. It worked every single time, and by the end of it, Ford had wanted to tear his hair out.

     The students at West Coast Tech would never behave like this.

     As a treat to himself for getting through that class, he hoisted his bag over his back, and wandered into a coffee shop just off of campus. He figured that he would get some studying done before he went home. Studying in the same place gets a little dull after a while, and Ford found himself looking forward to his plan.

     By the time he got inside of the warm, and admittedly delicious smelling, shop, he noticed that he wasn’t the only one with this idea. Almost all of the tables were taken, and the line in front of him was longer than what was ideal… No line at all. Now that Ford had gotten a whiff of the coffee he came for, he didn’t want to leave. Instead, he stood in line, and hoped that there would be an open table by the time he had his order.

     That wasn’t the case. Every table was full, except for one next to a window. There was a girl sitting there, but she was reading. He could pretend that she wasn’t there if she was only reading.

     It took him a second to work up the courage to ask her if he could sit. When he did, she blinked, and looked around like she was surprised by her surroundings. She nodded, and watched as he set his coffee on the table.

     Ford also noticed that she was watching as he unpacked his studying materials. Three notebooks, markers, pens, and a textbook filled his half of the space. After a moment of thought, he tried propping the textbook on his leg. He sighed when that didn’t work. Instead, he shuffled his open notes around, turned the pages, and got started.

     When Ford looked up ten minutes later, and saw that the girl hadn’t gone back to her book like he thought she would. It looked like she was trying to read his notes upside down. She had pulled a pen out of her bag, and started doodling on a napkin, only pausing to glance up and watch Ford study. Ford smiled to himself, and went back to his notes. When he translated the first page of short hand onto the blank notebook, he glanced up and realized that the girl’s observant eyes were still trained on him. He froze for a second, before her eyes darted away from him. He didn’t say anything, but he saw the way that she picked up the book and shoved her nose into it. 

     Ford didn’t remember a time when he was able to make a girl flustered like this. It gave his confidence a boost. One that Ford was sure that his brother was familiar with, but was a complete stranger to him.

     Honestly, Ford was surprised that she stayed in her seat after her cup was gone. He didn’t have much time to think about that small fact before a loud ringtone forced its way into the calm air of the shop. His table companion jolted in surprise, and dug into her jacket’s pocket for the offending device. When she found it, she cut the noise that had people staring, and stood to take the call.

     Ford found his eyes wandering to the things she had left on the table. Her book, and a napkin resting on top of the book. After a good look at the upside down picture, he realized that it was a carefully drawn picture of him working on his notes. A few rough sketches of the books around him, and some writing scribbled along the top. Ford paused and admired the details put into his portrait. He also tried to read what was written along the top of the flimsy paper. He had some trouble reading it, but he did see a phone number written off to one side. He smiled, and sat back in his chair when he heard the door chime announce the girl’s return.

     She slid into her seat, and Ford busied himself copying more notes. After a few beats of silence, he decided to speak.

     “So, uh, you like to draw?” That sounded dumb.

     “Yeah.” She chuckled to herself, “I guess you could say that. Did you see what I’m working on?”

     “If it’s the napkin, I might have had a peek.” Ford was trying to channel his inner smooth guy. He wasn’t sure how well it was working.

     “Well, how about I show you when it’s done, and if you like it, you can keep it.”

     “That sounds wonderful.” He tried to keep the hope out of his voice, but he was never good at acting cool. Especially with pretty girls who can draw so well.

     After she collected her things and finished chatting with the ever awkward Ford, she slid the napkin towards him before waving goodbye and leaving the shop.

     Stanford almost couldn’t believe it. He had gotten a girl’s number. He wouldn’t be studying for the rest of the night because if this. He found himself smiling at the writing on the napkin. ‘Call me soon, Genius!’

     However, Ford didn’t know that the girl was waiting for him to contact her. She could hardly wait to run into the brilliant Stanford Pines again.


	2. Stressed Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12-5-22-9 13-12-7-19-18-13-20

     Ford had never thought of himself as a particularly brave man. There were an almost staggering amount of times when he wasn’t brave. He was usually only brave around his brother, and he hadn’t seen him in a few years. At least. Not like he’s keeping track or anything. It’s not like he missed his brother. That’s just ridiculous.

     Aside from his ramblings about his brother and why that actually matters right now, he had decided to keep the napkin with the picture and the phone number, and it was now staring him down from his desk at home. It drew his attention, and he couldn’t focus on anything else.

     He was at a loss.

     Should he just send a text?

     Should he call?

     The note said to call soon, but how soon was too soon?

     These kinds of things matter, and he didn’t want to mess it up. Like that dance in high school.

     In a moment of panic, his mind tossed him back to that night. After the twins had gone home for the night, Mother had thrown a fit over their punch stained suits. They had spent all night trying to get the stains out with their mother casting an irritated shadow over the pair while they worked.

     No. Now isn’t the time to think about that. He had other problems. Like what he should do with this piece of paper. That’s still sitting on his desk. Daring him to do something.

     He picks it up, looking at the handwriting that he would probably recognize anywhere by now. He runs his fingers over the edges of the napkin, and steels his courage before reaching for his phone. If he doesn’t call now, he knows he never will.

     It rings once. Stanford tells himself that he can do this. Twice. She asked him to call her. It rings a third time. He hangs up. Stanford can’t do this. He sets his phone on the desk, and starts pacing.

     Less than a minute later, after Ford had resigned himself to being single and alone forever, his phone rings. It’s the girl. A cheery ringtone bops it’s way into the air, and Ford immediately realizes that he done fucked up. He paces, wondering if he should pick up the phone before the thing plays the voicemail that he made with his brother in high school.

     He should probably change that sometime. But now’s not the time to think about that.

     Also, why did he set a cheesy song as her ringtone when he only called her once?

     Ford also realizes that he has no idea what her name is.

     She probably doesn’t know what his name is either, so he doesn’t feel as bad.

     Ford hears that the ringtone is about to end and, in a panic, lunges for the phone from the other side of the room. He barely knocks it off of the table, and answers it from the discomfort of the floor.

     “Hello?” Ford asks, ignoring the carpet still pressed into his face.

     “Hey! I, uh, got a call from this number a minute ago…?” She sounds hesitant.

     “Oh, um… Yeah, that was me. I’m that guy from the coffee shop…” He hesitates. “The one you drew?”

     “oh. Ooh. I remember you!” She sounds glad to hear from him. “How’s the studying going?”

     “It’s, er, it’s alright. I’ve still got a lot to do, but, um…” He paused, wondering just how he should phrase this particular question.

     “...But…?”

     Oh, yeah. She’s still on the phone.

     “I was thinking that it’s about time I took a break.” Ok. Ford can do this. He just has to channel his inner Stanley and he’ll be fine. “W-Would you maybe like to take a break with me?”

     It’s not quite what he had in mind, but it’s close enough.

     “Sure. I’m not doing anything right now.” She pauses. “Do you wanna go see a movie? I heard that there are some good ones.”

     Ford is quick to agree, and that’s the end of it.

     It’s the beginning of a new relationship and Ford couldn’t be happier than he is with (Y/n).

**Author's Note:**

> 8-12 18-15-15 17-6-8-7 15-22-26-5-22 7-19-18-8 19-22-9-22
> 
> 4/15/2018 18-14 26-23-23-18-13-20 26-13-12-7-19-22-9 24-19-26-11-7-22-9 7-12 7-19-18-8  
> 18-7 8-19-12-6-15-23 25-22 6-11 8-12-12-13


End file.
